Catch a Shadow Page 26

  “I stopped a lot of them.” She paused, then said. “Don’t worry about me calling for help. Not now,” she said.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “My first husband was an honorable guy. He died doing what he did because he loved this country. I think he would want me to help your friend.”

  “It could be—”

  “Dangerous? From what you told me, this Adams probably knew about me already, and certainly by now. Seems I’m in the same position as you are. Act now, or live in fear. Even my family may not be able to keep me safe.”

  “I have to get back, or Jake will tear this park apart trying to find me.”

  “I’ll leave the park in about twenty minutes,” Dallas said as she glanced at her watch. It’s seven thirty now. I’m driving a silver sedan. There’s an American flag decal on it.” She gave Kirke the license plate number.

  “Can I have your address, in case we get separated?”

  Dallas handed Kirke a card, and Kirke glanced at it. It had her name, Dallas Crew, and under it, Web Site Design. Two phone numbers were in corners. No printed address, but she’d scribbled it down.

  “Thank you,” Kirke said, a lump in her throat. She hadn’t known what to expect. She put the card in the pocket of her slacks.

  “I should probably thank you. I needed closure on this long ago.”

  Jake made a couple of rounds around the refreshment area. No Kirke. Then he called Cole. They’d decided not to call one another unless it was necessary. Jake hadn’t wanted Adams or his henchmen to realize he wasn’t alone.

  “I’ve lost Kirke.”

  “She went into the ladies’ room with a good-looking, redheaded lady.”

  Jake visibly relaxed.

  “You haven’t seen anything suspicious?”

  “Nope. Oh, the redhead is coming out. You stay with her while I stay with Kirke.”

  Jake nodded. Dallas was probably safe here, but he still wanted to keep an eye on her until he heard from Kirke.

  He returned to the fence and watched as Dallas approached the people with her son. Before she reached them, though, she made a call on her cell. Then she went over to her son, leaned down, and said something to him. They both laughed.

  For the first time today, he started to relax.

  Kirke waited until Dallas left.

  As she turned out the door, she heard a whistle. A familiar tune. Merlin’s tune.

  She felt, rather than heard, someone behind her. He must have been peering out from the men’s side of the building. Before she could react, the barrel of a gun pressed into her side. “If you want to live, move around the corner. Quickly.”

  When she hesitated, he shoved the weapon farther into her back, and whispered in her ear, “I have a silencer. I can quite easily kill you and escape in the confusion. Don’t expect your boyfriend. He’s being taken care of.”

  It was the latter threat that made her move. She heard the deadly intent in her captor’s voice. She couldn’t see him, but she knew immediately he must be Adams. She had no doubt he would do as he said.

  Where is Jake? Adams would have been expecting him, but he wouldn’t know two other men were with her. Did Mac or Cole realize what was happening?

  She decided to cooperate for the moment and wait for an opportunity. She took a step forward, then another.

  “Faster,” he said.

  Adams put his arm around her as if they were sweethearts, but the gun still pressed into her.

  Kirke noticed something red on the sleeve of her attacker. Blood. She also noticed the sleeve was the color of the uniform she’d seen earlier on a park employee. Her blood chilled. Who had he killed now? Was she next?

  And no wonder he had been able to get close to her. He’d probably been emptying wastebaskets, hovering around while she was inside. Maybe he even heard some of the conversation. Jake had once called him a chameleon.

  He had been quick. He must have located Dallas and followed her here.

  The blood on the uniform looked fresh.

  “Pretend, bitch,” he said in a low voice as he forced her to move quickly around the building to its back, then to woods that backed the facility. He moved his face close to hers.

  Step by step they moved among the trees toward the parking lot. She heard the motor of an automobile engine running not far away. She tried to turn her head, but he had a lock on her neck. To some, he might resemble a lover. She didn’t see either Cole or Mac now. And Jake? Someone’s taking care of your boyfriend.

  Her heart pounded. She had to believe they were there.

  He ducked to miss the branch of a tree, and she decided to scream. Better to be shot here than thrown into a car to an unknown fate. Maybe it would give her protectors an opportunity …

  Then she heard the crunch of stones behind them. So, apparently, did her attacker. He started to turn, the gun now to her head.

  Now or never. The strap of her purse was around her shoulder, the pepper spray just inches away. She purposefully caught her toe on the rise and stumbled away from him. He leaned down to grab her arm, and with the other arm free, she reached in the purse, grabbing the small canister from inside her purse.

  At the same time, she heard a shout. Mac, she thought. Or Cole.

  He twisted around, still holding her left arm as he aimed his gun toward the shout. She brought up the pepper cannister and sprayed.

  He coughed and swore. His hand let go long enough to slap her across the face. She dropped the canister, then the gun was next to her head.

  “Don’t come any closer,” she heard him say to someone else, “or I’ll blow her head off.”

  Her head rang. She felt herself being thrown into someone else’s arms. “Get her to the car.”

  In the distance she heard a roar of approval from the softball field. Didn’t anyone hear? Or see? Scream. She opened her mouth, and a hand clasped over her mouth. Her new captor was jerking her along, dragging her. They obviously wanted her alive. Her left hand was free. She took the hatpin from where she’d tucked it into the waistband of her slacks and jabbed it through the hand holding her.

  He let go.

  She scrambled to her feet and started to run. She heard a pop alongside a tree. This time a scream did start deep in her throat as she ran into some arms. They closed around her and threw her to the ground, a body covering hers, sheltering her.

  She heard the sound of a car screeching off, then Cole’s voice, “It’s clear now.”

  Jake cursed as he rolled off her and helped her up. His gaze went to her face. He closed his eyes for a second, then put his arm around her, drawing her close.

  Cole looked at her face. Winced. “They got away,” he said. “God, I’m sorry, Kirke. I couldn’t fire without hitting you. When you got away, I didn’t want to fire and draw all those cops over here. I have the license plate number, though.” He looked at her closely. “You okay?”

  She nodded, trying not to let the other two see that she was shaking. Inside and out. Her face smarted, and she suspected she would have another black eye just as the first was fading. But she was alive.

  She looked around. They were shielded from the ball field by trees. Shouts from the game had masked any noise.

  “What happened?” Jake asked softly.

  “I was waiting where we planned,” Cole said. “But she disappeared into the ladies’ room with a woman. No one around but a guy emptying trash. When she came out, the guy grabbed her and put a gun in her back. I didn’t doubt he would kill her if I charged him. Mac and I could only follow until we had an opportunity. She gave it to us.”

  “No way, though, were we going to let her get in a car,” Mac said. “I was circling around toward the parking lot. I knew someone would be waiting for the guy.” He looked at Jake. “Was that Adams?”

  Jake nodded. “I saw that much. Dammit. Someone stopped me at the field. I should have known … expected …”

  “I was caught off guard, too,” Mac said as he approached. He
held her purse out to her. “Here’s your little bag of tricks,” he said with a grin. “Damndest thing I ever saw.” Then he sobered. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t on him faster. After I saw all the cops, I didn’t really expect an attempt …

  “Probably why he did it,” Jake said bitterly. “He knew I would be arrested if I made any kind of counterattack. Probably thought I would just let her go. He didn’t plan on you two. Or,” he added, “Kirke.”

  Cole’s gaze went to Kirke. “I saw you use the pepper spray. What did you do to the other guy?”

  “A corsage pin,” she said, but her eyes were on Jake. “Dallas is going to help us. We’re to follow her home.”

  “Why is she going to help?” Jake said flatly.

  “I don’t know. When I mentioned Mitch Edwards, the name obviously meant something to her. She said she might have something that could help. She said she would leave in twenty minutes, and we can follow.” She searched her pocket and pulled out the card. “Her address.”

  Jake looked at Mac. “Mac, go ahead and get there as fast as you can. I want someone there before Dallas Crew arrives. The only way Adams could have known about this is if he’d followed her.”

  Mac glanced at the card. “I have a GPS in my car, and I know this city. I’m on my way. Cole, you follow them. I’ll keep in touch.”

  The four of them raced back toward the parking lot, Jake and Kirke following Cole. As they ran, they heard some more yells from the softball field. They separated near the parking lot. Dallas was standing beside a silver sedan. When she saw Kirke, she stepped inside.

  Kirke got inside their rental and collapsed. Jake reached out his hand, and she took it, realizing seconds later that she was practically draining it of blood. She shivered and couldn’t stop shivering. Reaction. She was humiliated by it.

  He started the car and pulled behind Dallas. Then he put his arm around Kirke. “When I couldn’t find you …” His voice was ragged, and it faded away as if he couldn’t finish.

  Brace up. She was strong. She was woman. She was even Superwoman. Except she didn’t feel like Superwoman. She felt like a mouse being stalked by a tiger. And that tiger had stepped on her tail and almost got all of her in his mouth.

  Jake had to concentrate on following the sedan. He wanted to hold Kirke. Instead, he had to focus on the car ahead. He couldn’t lose the woman now. Especially if Adams was waiting for her.

  But he was only too aware of Kirke beside him. She was shivering despite the heat in the car. He’d begun to think she had ice water in her veins. She’d sailed through so many potential disasters in the past seven days, enough, in fact, to destroy lesser people.

  It was beginning to hit home. He knew it would. He’d experienced it himself after several firefights during a compressed period of time. There was an accumulation of fear. She’d gone through repeated perils with an aplomb that had stunned him. Even a cat had only nine lives, and she’d used about four or five in a matter of a week.

  He glanced at her. Her cheek was swelling, but she looked beautiful. God, he liked her. Even loved her, though he fought against that last word. He had no right to it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  It took thirty minutes or so to arrive at Dallas’s home. A modest split-level, it was located at the end of a street and sat next to a wooded area. She drove into the garage, and the door closed behind her.

  Jake looked for Mac. He saw the car, but it was empty. As discussed on their cells, Cole parked down the street. Dallas expected two people, not three.

  It was only seconds before the front door opened. Dallas stood in the doorway. Jake and Kirke approached when he caught a movement behind Dallas.

  His internal warning system raged. He’d assumed from what Kirke had said that Dallas would be alone. Obviously, she wasn’t. He noticed Kirke stiffening as well.

  What in the hell was going on?

  Dallas stepped out; so did a tall man with his hand on a gun in a holster at his waist.

  “This is Jake Kelly,” Kirke said. “I think you met him years ago.” She glanced down the street where Cole was waiting. “That’s Cole Ramsey. Former Special Forces with Jake. He’s helping.”

  Dallas raised an eyebrow. “Anyone else?”

  The question was addressed to Kirke. The two women had, in a short time, apparently established trust.

  Jake felt sidelined, but he’d been humbled more than once in the past few days.

  Kirke nodded. “A man named Mac. He was going to make sure no one was lurking about.”

  Dallas nodded. She turned to the man next to her. “This is my brother, Dayton. He’s the only one in the family who knows about Del Cox.”

  Jake hesitated. Yet he had no choice now but to play this out until the end. He stepped inside and wasn’t surprised to see Mac sitting on the sofa. He sighed when he saw Jake and Cole. “Too long with computers,” he said. “He was waiting for me.”

  Dayton regarded Jake and Cole warily. “Put your weapons on the table.”

  Jake took the gun from the holster in the small of his back and did as he was told. Cole followed suit. He noticed that Kirke didn’t volunteer the gun he knew she had in her purse. Instead, her fingers clutched the purse to her.

  “Take the weapons into the kitchen,” Dayton Gallagher said to his sister. Dallas followed his instructions, and Jake studied her brother. Dayton was a big man but with little fat. He obviously worked out. His blue eyes were icy and his manner wary.

  Jake had underestimated Dallas. He’d thought it strange that she’d agreed so readily to allow strangers in her house, especially after hearing Kirke out. But apparently she’d put those twenty minutes to good use.

  Dallas returned. “I’m making coffee,” she said. “There’s something stronger if you want it.” Then she looked at Kirke again, and her eyes widened. “What happened to you?”

  Jake briefly described the attack on Kirke in the park.

  “Why her?” Dayton asked.

  “I imagine because they thought she was easier, and they knew I would do anything to get her back,” Jake said.

  “You weren’t followed?” Dayton asked.

  “I don’t think so. But my guess is that they already know where Dallas lives and were following her.”

  “I’m going to call Denny,” Dayton said.

  “No,” Dallas said. “You know Denny. Everything’s black and white to him. If he knows there’s a fugitive in the house, he’ll shoot first and ask questions later. Listen to the man’s story.”

  Dayton obviously didn’t want to want to agree, but he did. Dallas, like Kirke, was apparently a force of nature.

  “Go ahead and start,” Dallas said to Jake.

  Jake started with the mission, then receiving the letter. Kirke took it from there.

  “And you two?” he asked Mac and Cole.

  “They served with me in Afghanistan,” Jake said.

  “And we knew damn well he wasn’t guilty,” Cole said heatedly. “You fight with a man, and you know what he’s made of.”

  Dayton nodded at that and relaxed slightly.

  “Why you?” Jake turned to Dallas and asked. “Why did Del Cox mention you?”

  Dallas hesitated, cast a glance at Dayton, then started. “We were lovers for a short time. Love wasn’t involved. Loneliness was. My husband had been ‘missing’ five years. I couldn’t get any information, but I stuck around the Farm for years, hoping I would hear something. I managed the Enigma. It was one way I could stay close to men like him. Maybe I would find out something.” She sighed. “I couldn’t let go. Then one day, I was told he was dead. No details. Nothing. That night I got drunk, and a customer named David Lewis took me home. He came in the bar often, and he was a loner. I probably paid more attention to him than I should have, but he always seemed so alone and I knew he was CIA. All the signs were there. Anyway, we both had too much to drink and slept together.

  “I swore it wouldn’t happen again, but then he went on an assignment, and when he returned
he was a wreck. He’d helped me. I thought … damn if I know what I thought. Simple fact I didn’t think at all. I’d never believed in sleeping around. I had to really care about someone to sleep with them, and no one measured up to my husband. But I was so damn lonely then. I knew Dave was in love with me, and I should have cut it off.

  “To make a long story short, I got pregnant. I didn’t tell him. I never wanted to marry into the CIA again. Never knowing where your husband is, or what kind of danger he’s in, is my definition of hell.” She paused. “And I didn’t love him. I liked him, but …”

  She stood. Walked around the room.

  “Then I heard David had been killed. There were whispers about a mission gone bad. Jeb was born six months later. I had planned to stay where I was. I had friends there, and memories. Then one night David showed up in my bedroom at midnight. He looked like hell. Somehow he’d learned about the baby. He tried to give me a hundred thousand dollars.

  “I didn’t want the money. I didn’t know where he’d gotten it, and something felt all wrong about it. I had enough with my widow’s benefit and my job. I told him that people thought he was dead, and he replied that it was better that way, warned me not to say anything or I could be in danger. Some supersecret government job.”

  “And you believed him?”

  “I didn’t know what to believe. And I didn’t know where or how he’d gotten the money. For all I knew, his story could be true or he could have turned mercenary.”

  “He left abruptly, as if he was afraid. He wouldn’t take the money back. I didn’t know what to do with it, so I put it in a separate account in Jeb’s name and just left it there.

  “Then he appeared again one night six months later. He was drunk and frightened, and this time he really scared me. Said someone was after him and might come after me.”

  “I packed up the next day and left. It was time anyway. The Enigma was slowly dying, and my job wouldn’t be there long. My father was a sergeant in the Denton Police Department, and he’d been urging me to come home. I didn’t tell him what had happened, but he knew I was afraid of something. He made sure there were no records that led to me. I married a year later.”